A GoFundMe account has been created to assist the parish’s efforts. If you can, please help out.
This morning the parish church of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Perth Amboy, New Jersey was destroyed by fire. First, we all request your prayers for the people of the parish, our diocese, and the entire Church as we face the days ahead. May our dear Lord console our grief and give us the grace of His strength.
The beauty of our Holy Polish National Catholic Church is clearly evident in the story below from MyCentralJersey. It is our central focus on faith in Jesus Christ Who saves and strengthens us, Who provides for us and leads us to overcome every obstacle or challenge.
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
It too is a Church of the people, of the humanity and nations Christ has redeemed. We are the Church that respects, honors, and enshrines every person’s self determination in our democratic tradition. We are a Church organized by immigrants that continues to offer a home to immigrants – not as subjects – but as human beings. Our Holy Church is our home, where the traditions of Poles, Czechs, Lithuanians, Peruvians, Mexicans, and people of every culture are not just kept – as if on on shelf – but are lived and expressed in the ways we worship our Lord.
Bendicenos en cada hora Senor de los Milagros, en nuestras enfermedades y pobrezas, en nuestras pruebas y desolaciones, en nuestors quebrantos e infortunios, escucha nuestra voz, atiende nuestras plegarias, acude pronto en favor de nosotros, de nuestras familias y de nuestros intereses temporales y eternos. En Ti confiamos Senor de los Milagros y de tu misericordia infinita, esperamos alcanzar el remedio en nuestras necesidades.
Padrenuestro, Avemaria con la jaculatoria; Senor de los Milagros, en Ti confiamos.
Bless us at our every hour Lord of Miracles, in our sickness and poverty, in desolation and in the times we are tested, in our losses and misfortunes, hear our voice, hear our prayers; speed Your aid to us, to our families, and help us in our daily and eternal needs. In You, Lord of Miracles we trust, and place our faith in Your infinite mercy; we know that You will hear us in our every need.
Our Father, Hail Mary, and pray: Lord of Miracles, we trust in You!
PERTH AMBOY — Hours after an early morning fire destroyed Saints Cyril & Methodius National Catholic Church, the pastor and some members vowed to rebuild the 598 Jacques St. church.
And they will be looking to other towns with Peruvian communities to assist them.
“We want the Peruvian community to join forces. We need help from them and other Peruvian communities to rebuild,” said Andres Sanchez of Perth Amboy, adding both Paterson and Elizabeth have large Peruvian communities. “We ask for help from our Peruvian community to rebuild the house of the Senor del los Milagros in Perth Amboy.”
The church housed a replica of the Senor de los Milagos, an image of Jesus Christ on the crucifix, also known as the Lord of Miracles considered sacred in Peru. Members stood outside the charred remains to see if the image survived the flames.
Sanchez, a two-year church member, said the destruction of the church by fire is “a big tragedy.”
The Rev. Mariusz Zochowski, church pastor who refers to himself at “Father Mario,” said the church is it’s people, and he believes it will be rebuilt. The church with Polish origins, now has a large Peruvian membership.
“If anyone has the desire to help us rebuild the church it would be greatly appreciated,” said Zochowski said.
For Luis Silva, 23, Saints Cyril & Methodius National Catholic Church, is like a second home.
“It means everything to me. To see it in ruins breaks me apart,” said Silva who attended Sunday services at the church hours before a fire destroyed the wood-frame 1920s era church.
Silva, a member for more than six years, said the church is a place where he feels safe.
“Religion to me is very important. It’s most of what I’ve known since a child,” said Silva who was among a group of church members who came out to the early Monday morning fire scene to see firefighters work to extinguish the flames.
As he returned in the late morning, so did the heartbreaking feeling.
Like many of the church members Silva was interested in learning whether a replica of the Senor de los Milagros, had survived. Fire Chief Abraham Pitre, however, said the image is believed to have been destroyed by the flames.
Salvaging religious items
Perth Amboy Mayor Wilda Diaz has asked the fire department to salvage any religious artifacts, including the stained glass windows.
“I want them to be careful and preserve any artifacts that survived this fire,” Diaz said.
Sanchez said the church contained religious artifacts associated with the saint. Pitre said many religious items were recovered, but not the image.
“But of the most value is our faith,” said Sanchez, who learned of the fire early Monday morning from a relative.
Two crosses did survive the fire. One, heavily charred is seen still hanging on the church wall, while another cross located on the cupola fell and now is perched inside the church.
Sanchez said October marks the celebration of the saint Senor de los Milagros and every year in September church members parade the image through the Jacques Street neighborhood in celebration of the Lord of Miracles. Diaz said people from Peru have traveled to Perth Amboy to participate in the procession.
According to Sanchez, a slave from Peru painted the original image and when an earthquake destroyed nearly everything in the church, the image survived.
Sanchez said the church has members who come from as far as New York. He said a lot of people come to the Perth Amboy church to see the image of Senor de los Milagros. Diaz said people from Peru have traveled to Perth Amboy to participate in the procession.
“Today is the last day they do the procession in Peru,” said Diaz, who saw church members crying in the early morning hours as they watched the church burn. “People just cried and cried. It was so sad. It broke my heart. It’s a miracle the buildings around here did not catch fire.”
Three towns assist Perth Amboy in fighting fire
Pitre said firefighters were dispatched to the church around 12:52 a.m. after a passerby walking in the area noticed smoke and fire along the roof and then saw fire inside the church.
When police and firefighters arrived, there was fire burning along the roof. Pitre said the fire spread throughout the corner lot church building. The cause it under investigation, but may never be known due to the amount of damage, Pitre said.
Diaz said the heat and fire was so intense the walls were buckling and shaking.
Firefighters worked to prevent the fire from spreading to the homes behind the wood-frame church on Jeffries Street or to the rectory next door at 600 Jacques Street.
“We tried to keep it contained to the church,” Pitre said.
Firefighters from Perth Amboy, Woodbridge, Colonia, Iselin, Fords, Sayreville, Metuchen and Avenel helped fight the fire and cover the rest of the city. It took about 90 minutes to get the fire under control. No one was in the church. No injuries were reported.
“The church is a total loss,” he said. “There are still some pockets of fire in the front of the church that are still burning. Due to the fact the church is in danger of collapsing we’re waiting for the insurance company to come to order an emergency demolition to further extinguish it.”
From September 18th through the 24th the Most Rev. Anthony Mikovsky and the Very Rev. Gregory Młudzik led a group of faithful and a delegation from the Polish National Union to Poland in observance of the 50th Anniversary of the organizing of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Żarki, Poland. Our Lady of Perpetual Help was established as a center of faith and also as a memorial of gratitude to the organizer of the Polish National Catholic Church, Most Rev. Francis Hodur. Żarki, Poland is the birthplace of Bishop Hodur.
The current church was built through the generosity of Polish National Catholics in the United States who channeled their support through the Polish National Union. The cornerstone for the church was blessed and laid by Prime Bishop Leon Grochowski in 1966 in the presence of the clergy and faithful from throughout Poland and the United States as well as representatives from the Polish National Union.
From September 18th through the 24th the Most Rev. Anthony Mikovsky and the Very Rev. Gregory Młudzik led a group of faithful and a delegation from the Polish National Union to Poland in observance of the 50th Anniversary of the organizing of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Żarki, Poland. During their visit they presented a check for $25,000 to support the work of Regional Hospital System in Będzin, Poland. Funds were raised through the work of the Medical Bridge to Poland program.
The regional hospital system offers preventative, diagnostic, treatment, and rehabilitative services through two hospitals with twenty departments and two specialty clinics with 35 specialists in occupational and primary health care.
Z USA do Będzina. Profesjonalny sprzęt dotarł do szpitala
Funkcjonuje od miesiąca, jednak jego oficjalne przekazanie nastąpiło w poniedziałek. Do będzińskiego szpitala przybyli goście z USA, którzy przyczynili się do zakupu nowoczesnego sprzętu do badań serca.
Nowoczesna aparatura w będzińskiej placówce jest wykorzystywana już od kilku tygodni. – Mieliśmy okazję spotkać się z darczyńcami, pokazać im w jaki sposób funkcjonuje ten sprzęt i ile znaczy dla mieszkańców powiatu będzińskiego, bowiem faktycznie podnosi on jakość świadczonych usług medycznych przez nasz szpital – powiedział Rafał Adamczyk, wicestarosta będziński. – To działanie wpisuje się w naprawę programu ekonomicznego tej placówki – dodał Rafał Adamczyk.
Wartość całej aparatury wynosi 130 tys. zł, z czego kwotę w wysokości 52 tys. zł. pokrył sam szpital. – Pozostałe 78 tys. zł. przekazał nam z Kościół Polskokatolicki w Stanach Zjednoczonych, a konkretnie jeden z dekanatów, którego dziekanem jest ksiądz Grzegorz Młudzik, pochodzący z naszego terenu. To on zaproponował, aby przekazać te pieniądze na aparaturę do badań chorób serca – mówił Jacek Kołacz, dyrektor będzińskiego szpitala.
Niewykluczone, że nie była to ostatnia pomoc finansowa dla szpitala zza oceanu. – Bardzo się cieszymy, że z roku na rok w naszym szpitalu pojawiają się coraz bardziej specjalistyczne, profesjonalne urządzenia. Wszystko ma na celu to, aby mieszkańcy, którzy niestety korzystają ze służby zdrowia mogli być leczeni w jak najlepszych warunkach – podkreślił Łukasz Komoniewski, prezydent Będzina.
From the Times Tribune: North Scranton Church celebrates 100 year history
The halls and steeples of one Scranton church have heard thousands of hymns, witnessed years of weddings, Communions and confessions and have stood tall and welcoming for 100 years.
Anna Zimmie, a 100-year-old member of the congregation of the Providence of God Lithuanian National Catholic Church in Scranton, began her life as one of the first children baptized within its walls. Her daughter, Dolores Krupski, said the church has been a “big part” of both of their lives.
“My mother used to tell me what a great choir they had,” Mrs. Krupski said. “She used to talk about a lot of things that happened years ago.”
The church that brought Mrs. Zimmie into her life of faith a century ago will celebrate its 100th anniversary this weekend with a special Mass and banquet. Father Walter Placek, the church’s pastor, said this milestone has been hard-won by the dedication of congregation members throughout the church’s history.
“For a church to stay open 100 years in itself is a little miracle,” Father Placek said. “Those who are dedicated want so much to keep this church going, and I like being a part of that.”
Janet Kelly, president of the parish committee, leads those dedicated parishioners and manages the upkeep and functions of the church.
“We’re a small group, but we do a lot,” Ms. Kelly said. “We’re all working for the same goal of keeping the church alive and going.”
The church was founded in 1913 by a group of Lithuanian immigrants who had become disenchanted with the “oppressive ways” of the Roman Catholic Church and split from St. Joseph’s Church in North Scranton. According to Father Placek’s historical sketch, in 1913 the group “went around the corner to Oak Street, barely a quarter-mile away from St. Joseph’s Church, and the Providence of God Parish became a reality.”
Today, Ms. Kelly said the parish committee keeps the church alive and thriving through several fundraisers throughout the year, including pork dinners, chicken barbecues, flea markets and bake sales.
“It gets a little tough now,” she said. “If we had to survive on collections (during Mass) we wouldn’t get by.”
A lifelong member of the church, Ms. Kelly said both her parents and grandparents met within the 100-year-old walls.
“It’s had such a huge impact on my life,” Ms. Kelly said. “It’s like my second family.”
Father Placek started at the church 12 years ago for what was originally a “temporary assignment.” Now, he will lead it through the centennial milestone.
“Twelve years ago I didn’t think I would be here,” Father Placek said. “Back then I was hoping we could fill the church. This (anniversary) is a rare privilege.”
The church will host a special anniversary Mass on Sunday at 3 p.m., led by Diocesan Bishop Bernard Nowicki.
As the centennial milestone comes and goes, Father Placek said he hopes to see the church remain for many years to come.
“I hope it’s more than keeping open,” he said. “It’s worth trying to keep it and to grow.”
Laimes sukaktuviu proga!!!
Family
the center of love
And when they saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously.” And he said to them, “How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” And they did not understand the saying which he spoke to them.
As a young man of 12 (prior to the acknowledged age of maturity for a Jewish young man – the age of 13), Jesus was already maturely aware that He had been sent to carry out His Father’s will, to be close to His Father in heaven in all that He was to say and do. Of course Mary and Joseph did not fully understand that. They would have expected Jesus to still be immature in the knowledge of God.
Jesus clearly points out that He had to be about His Father’s work regardless of whether the world or His human parents saw Him as mature or immature. He shows us that the perceptions of the world do not matter as long as we stay focused on our true work.
How hard it is for us to stay true to God’s work among the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Children’s lives are fully programmed. Youth are busy with studies, sports, extracurricular activities and homework of course. Many parent’s work lives seem never ending now that we are connected 24/7 will smartphones. Retirement doesn’t mean sitting in a rocking chair anymore.
Staying true to God, to our faith in Christ, to the work the Holy Spirit calls us to do, requires an environment that places being in the Father’s presence as the greatest good. All the education, money, talent, and activities in the world are worth nothing if we loose our souls – our relationship to God and our heavenly family – in the process.
The environment that is our support, that shows us the way to eternal success, and that keeps us true and present to God is family –the Christian family. Family that believes in love, which is truly connected to the truth of love, will place God first and foremost in its life. That family will pray together, will worship together, will live in faithfulness to each other, will support and prepare each other for a life that is forever.
What a worthless gift we leave if we only provide for the near term. God’s family – provides forever.
Jesus sat in His Father’s presence in the temple, feeling at home, breathing the air of His own proper place. As families in Christ – centers of love – let us follow Jesus. Let us be present to God, breathe His life as our greatest goal, our desired good, and as our gift of love to each other – parents, children, and grandchildren.
Lord, increase my…
faith, soften my heart!
If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Francis began his life as a confirmed sinner. His father was a wealthy cloth merchant who owned farmland around Assisi. Francis wanted for nothing and was spoiled. He indulged in fine food, wine, and women, and left school at the age of 14. By this time, he was well known as a wild teenager who partied and broke the city curfew. He was also known for his charm with women and for being a great dresser.
Francis did learn the skills of archery, wrestling and horsemanship. While expected to follow his father into the family textile business, he dreamed of other pursuits. Instead of planning a future as a merchant, he daydreamed of being a knight; and if Francis had any ambition, it was to be a war hero like the knights he admired. In 1202, war broke out between Assisi and Perugia, and Francis eagerly took his place with the cavalry.
People aren’t very good at softening their hearts. We are, unfortunately, pretty good at hardening them. Think of someone who holds a grudge, hasn’t spoken with a family member in years, or has closed their heart to the needs of others. We don’t often see them have a change of heart, a softening, unless someone intervenes…
Francis and the men of Assisi came under heavy attack by superior forces and ran. Many were killed. Most of the surviving Assisi troops were put to death. Dressed like an aristocrat and worthy of a decent ransom, Francis was captured. Francis spent nearly a year in a miserable prison cell waiting for his father to ransom him. It was there that he first heard God’s call…
The One who can soften our hearts, who intervenes, is Jesus. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, Jesus calls us to listen, to repent, and to soften our hearts – to have deeper faith. Like Francis, we have to listen for God’s call. We have to accept Him in faith and allow Him to soften our hearts and build our faith. Today’s psalm speaks of the life Francis went on to live once his heart was softened:
Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD; let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation. Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us joyfully sing psalms to him. Come, let us bow down in worship; let us kneel before the LORD who made us. For he is our God, and we are the people he shepherds…
The Holy Spirit worked to plant the seed of faith in Francis. We all have that seed of faith in us, the whole world does, but like Francis we have to open our ears to God’s call. We have to let Him soften our hearts, build our faith, so that like Francis we can serve Him in joy.
Where are you
going?
They drink wine from bowls and anoint themselves with the best oils; yet they are not made ill by the collapse of Joseph! Therefore, now they shall be the first to go into exile, and their wanton revelry shall be done away with.
Did you ever drink wine out of a bowl? Did you ever really feast without caring? Have you partied, partied, partied without thought of the consequences?
The situation in Israel was like that. They were living large, lying on beds of ivory, stretching comfortably on couches, eating tender lamb and veal, playing music they improvised, drinking wine from bowls, and anointing themselves with the best oils. They gave no thought to their suffering kinsmen.
Jesus was drawing on this parallel in His parable of Lazarus and the rich man. The rich man lived large, enjoyed his life, went from success to success, and ignored Lazarus as he walked by him every day. He was indifferent, inhuman. On the other hand, Lazarus begged, but while begging he did not bemoan his situation. He was humble and even the dogs tried to comfort him. In his poverty he maintained his humanity.
The conclusion of Jesus’ parable is the outcomes for Lazarus and the rich man. This should prompt us to consider our humanity, where will our way of life lead us?
Today’s Psalm begins: Blessed he who keeps faith forever. This is what we are called to do, to keep faith and to keep it forever. Listen again to Paul’s call to Timothy:
But you, man of God, pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. Compete well for the faith. Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called.
The question isn’t whether doing a “bad thing” will send us to eternal damnation or punishment. It is bigger than that. Jesus’ parable and the story of Israel are stories of people who have lost their humanity. They didn’t just do “bad things,” they lived lives that totally alienated them from life in God. They wiped the idea of God from their minds and hearts. They made themselves cold, self-centered, selfish and self-righteous, inhuman.
We know we fall in sin, but we have taken hold of the salvation Jesus offers us. We listen to His call to be more and more human, to repent of our sin, to make amends, to accept His grace and live lives in tune with His way. We see our humanity as a gift – and we focus on living humanly as God’s people.
It is not up to us to judge anyone’s destination. We must simply remember that lives lived habitually away from God will lead to an eternity away from Him.
We are called to be
shrewd stewards
And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently. “For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light.”
Today’s story is an intriguing tale of master and servant, and money and sly dealing. A steward who is about to be fired curries favor with his master’s debtors by forgiving some of their debts. Jesus seems to be commending dishonest behavior.
Jesus’ target audiences are two groups of people who he had been addressing over the three passages from Luke we have listened to over the past three weeks – one that was despised and frowned upon by society and another that enjoyed much honor and respect. Both shared this common love– amassing wealth.
The openly corrupt tax collectors Jesus had been spending time with are referred to as ‘children of this world;’ the Pharisees who fanatically kept the Law, believing it to be the ‘Light of Life,’ are described as ‘children of light.’
The taxmen had no qualms about adopting dishonest means but were known for their liberal spending habits and for using ill-gotten wealth freely to gain favors and friends. The Pharisees amassed wealth through legally right ways but were known to be tightfisted with their hard-earned money.
The tax collectors are commended for their worldly shrewdness. Jesus is speaking to them about giving up dishonest ways – to be shrewd in a new way, so they would receive heavenly treasures. The latter are commended for their honesty and advised to freely use money to gain the friendship of saints who would welcome them into ‘eternal dwellings,’ when their legalistic righteousness fails to gain them salvation.
Jesus calls both groups to break free from the love of money and seek God with an undivided heart. The Pharisees who loved money heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. Though there is no mention of how the taxmen responded, we have reasons to believe that the likes of Matthew and Zacchaeus, both tax collectors, were converted by this teaching.
The lesson is clear. The servant who is about to lose his job knows exactly what he needs to do to get himself into another job and a secure his future.
The steward was shrewd in taking care of himself. Jesus commends his shrewdness to us.
We are to be shrewd in taking care of our faith. We need to reflect on our failings, our sin, and be shrewd in doing what is necessary to gain heavenly treasure. We need to avoid legalism and scrupulosity and truly live generously in the light of Christ.
On Sunday, September 8th, the celebration of Santuario del Señor de los Milagros was held at Ss. Cyril and Methodius PNCC Parish in Perth Amboy, NJ.
